The Space Between

I was awoken by the sudden blast of a Thai pop song as my eyes were reintroduced to the bus’s flashy interior. The seemingly endless swaying of twists and turns had finally come to rest. I looked out to see that we had reached Bangkok’s Khaosarn Road. The man flung my bags onto the sidewalk and I grabbed them quickly, hoping to hasten the last leg of my cheap travel journey.

Worry set in as I noticed that everything about Khaosarn was dead. The travel agent had assured me that tickets to Chiang Mai were available throughout the night. In 7-11 I unzipped my backpack at the cashier and noticed the interior zip was open. It was only once I had searched the entire bag that I realised someone had stolen my money.

I found loose change and made my way down the silent street in pursuit of a payphone. It spat coins back at me, as if to heighten the severity of the moment. I fought back against the mockery by banging the receiver against the machine, when a gentle finger tapped my shoulder.

I spun around to see a woman looking up expectedly. She must’ve been in her 20’s, Asian with jet-black hair, powder white skin and kind, wide eyes. In a soft voice, she asked if she could help. I told her about the payphone and she handed me her phone. I called a friend, who explained directions to her apartment. The phone was taken mid-conversation and the woman continued talking, speaking in short sentences and smiling in reassurance.

The call ended and she held out her hand. Noticing my confusion, she beamed and gently grabbed mine. “I’m taking you to your friends place.” I could’ve protested but there was something about her that allowed me to trust her.

When we got into her car, she giggled and introduced herself as May. We started making small talk and the first shared laughter elevated my spirits like a cool drink after a long day.

“We are here!” She revealed, in delight with relief laced in her tone. “Thank you so much,” I said, wishing I had better words. She smiled, protecting my hands in hers. I felt something as she let go of them and looked down to see two thousand baht. I shook my head and she shook hers up and down with a smile as big as her generosity. “You must,” she said, exuding the same calm demeanor she maintained during our entire acquaintance. “I don’t want to worry about you. Make me happy.”

As I walked into the building, I took in the events of the night and the generosity of a local who had shown me the meaning behind random acts of kindness.